ARCHITECTURE + AIRBORNE European Travels: Marostica

PJ and I were able to buy tickets to the Marostica chess game this past September. It is only held once every two years and is played using human [and live animal] pieces on the chess board that is located in front the lower castle.

The story states that two men fell in love with a woman named Lionara, who was the daughter of Taddeo Parisio [the lord of Marostica]. Taddeo did not want the men to joust for his daughters hand in marriage, instead he wanted them to play in a contest that revolved around chess. I suppose neither was truly a loser, as the loser of the game won the hand of his other daughter, Oldrada.

The game is still held in front of the lower castle and there are fireworks and people dressed up in traditional costumes.

Così, i miei genitori hanno visitato per due settimane in Aprile [I know I know, I am several months and trips behind]. We did A LOT of things while they were here and traveled to many different places. From towns to wineries, we had a busy 2 weeks. Here are some highlights.

First up Venice. We were able to check out both Venice and Burano in one trip.

Burano is an island that is within the Venetian Lagoon. It takes about 40-45 minutes to get there by vaporetto. The island is famously known for its colorful buildings, fishing and lace. Every walkway is covered in blues, pinks, reds, greens, purples, and yellows.

yummm

Lago di Garda - We visited Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda.

Desenzano del Garda

Peschiera del Garda

Princess needs a beach towel

Bassano del Grappa and Marostica - I can't seem to find any photos of Marostica but here are some from Bassano. It was a rainy day but we managed to do some exploring.